Not long after the 2024 European Cup in Germany started, many media were discussing the topic of "no one will watch the European Cup" in a serious manner. I'm not interested in that kind of talk, as a football fan you inevitably follow the Euros, it's one of the must-see events.
The first time I watched the European Cup was in the distant June of 1992. Now that I think about it, this was an almost crazy cup match. At that time, there were only 8 teams participating in the European Cup, which could be said to be the elite of the elite. The Danish team received a notice a few days before the start of the competition that they could "substitute" for the sanctioned Yugoslavia team to participate in the competition. In the end, they stumbled and won the championship.
It was during the final review and exam period of the second semester of the second grade of junior high school. Because my grades were acceptable, I was indifferent to the review exams and was completely obsessed with the European Cup. At that time, there was only a 14-inch black and white TV at home, and CCTV did not broadcast all the games live, but I stayed alone in a small room and watched all the games, whether they were live or recorded.
Especially on the day of the final, the German team I supported actually lost to the Danish team and lost the championship. This was completely unacceptable. After watching the game in the early morning, I quickly went to school and took the final exam with my head spinning. I will remember this madness for the rest of my life. Even during the exam, I was thinking, how could a team like Denmark, which came on the bench, win the championship in the end? What went wrong? Later, some people called this "Danish Fairy Tale". Anyway, it just happened.
The reason why I say this European Cup is almost crazy is not just because Denmark won the championship - it is popular and has some crazy reasons, which to me is niche. For example, you can calmly watch the "Dutch Three Musketeers" and the "German Troika" play and think it is natural; that young man named Bergkamp plays well and has a great feel for the ball; Laudrup Jr. and Brolin are all excellent rising stars. For another example, after watching the European Cup in full, I was told prematurely: The best team may not necessarily win the championship, but the team with the best performance and luck can win the championship.
Over the years, it can be said that no European Cup has brought me such rich inspiration as the European Cup in Sweden. With the expansion of the European Cup teams, the elite competition is gradually becoming more popular. If you were in 1992, it would be difficult to imagine that today in 2024, there could be as many as 24 teams participating in the European Cup. Now it seems that there is no big problem with the popularization path. After all, "There are no underdogs in Europe." Over the years, the overall level of European football has indeed improved, and it is a well-deserved benchmark for world football.
Popularization also brought Greek mythology. Before 2004, the Greek team had only participated in the European Cup once. In the fans' impression, its level was a little better than real teams like Andorra, but not much better. In the 2004 European Cup in Portugal, the Greek team, which had almost no big names except for head coach Rehagel, relied on solid defense to reach the final and finally defeated the host Portugal team to win the championship. As a result, Greek myths may be more dramatic than Danish fairy tales.
This year's European Cup is a bit special to me. In addition to the holiday mentality of "encountering a big competition and watching it with reason", it is also the inheritance of family culture. Dabao and Xiaobao have made an appointment with me a long time ago. They will watch the game at nine o'clock, whether it is fifteen minutes, half an hour, or half time. Despite my initial hesitation, I quickly agreed to them. The reason for hesitation is that usually by this point, they should go to bed; the reason for readily agreeing is because the European Cup is held once every four years, and it is good for them to watch it, and it can also gain some knowledge, just like when I quickly learned about the main events in Sweden. It's the same as the city, nothing wrong with it.
"Dad, who won between Croatia and Albania?" Xiaobao, who only watched half of the game, came to me early the next morning and asked me. I told her that the Croatian team you supported scored two goals in a row in the second half. They were supposed to turn defeat into victory, but the opponent scored another goal in the final seconds, so it was a tie. After hearing this, she seemed to understand, and said "oh", so just assume she understood.
"A generation will eventually grow old, but there are always people who are young." This statement is more about the aging of generations and the emergence of players from generation to generation. In fact, for the sport of football, the metabolism of fans has another impact. Why not? Whenever you see fans of different years and different looks on TV cameras, you will have the illusion that time and space have stopped: they are inherited from generation to generation, and they seem to be one generation, sharing an aesthetic or ethical code.
This is the European Cup, and it is also football. Those who like it will naturally like it, follow it, and watch it. It's always been like this, no need to shout.
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